" The Autumn Of Her Life " by Diana

The wind was cold and dry as it brushed against her cheeks .

And even though she quickly felt the shiver of the wind flow over and around her skin,
It felt wonderful . It felt refreshing .
It made her feel alive .

The moon hung low in the sky,
glowing in beautiful warm shades of amber.






It was the harvest moon .
To her , it was the most splendid moon of the year .

She closed her eyes beneath the moonbeams
and she could hear the yellow, orange and red leaves
rustling past her silhouette.






One or two of the dried leaves touched her skin as she took
a very deep breath .

She imagined what the warm flames of the wood fire looked like
that someone unknown to her had lit in their fireplace.

That inviting scent mixed with the smoky scent of burning leaves
lingering in the air , filled her lungs and brought a smile to her face.






And while all of this was a special treat to her senses, she was getting colder now and realized that she would soon have to go back inside.

These magical days of this season were fleeting now
as were the magical years of her life .

The days grew shorter as did the years.

Yes she was getting colder now as well as older.
It was time to come in out of the chill to warm her body .

But her mind would always remain warm filled with the thoughts
and feelings of this beautiful season
and this beautiful life.

" An Experiment In Delirium "

If you are in fear of catching a virus or bug of the human kind ,

via the internet stop reading now !


I am doing an experimental post today. I can not think properly so I am curious as to what the absence of my usual thought process will produce.






Let us see shall we ?
Follow me , or at least try.


My husband and I had thought that Katie was getting better but then we discovered that we were wrong . Katie has strep throat again .
She is taking antibiotics , drinking tons and tons of water and sleeping.
And when she is not sleeping she is trying to make me laugh , those hysterical fits of laughter , or she is being a snotty !#! teenager .


It's really pretty outside . I am freezing . No fever , my skin is ice cold .
I keep getting bad headaches .
It's strange . I am having pretzels and a diet coke for lunch .
I really don't feel like eating . Besides whenever I do it sounds as though
there is a miniature lion in my intestines (intestines pronounced with a long - I , as I like it that way ) roaring and roaring .


Jake is feeling well enough to take care of Katie and I . At least good enough to walk the dogs and fix food .


And I just got through telling him that he didn't have to be such an ass when I told him that we had buns for his pot roast sandwich.
He was having it on an English muffin. I was trying to be nice .





I am tired of being nice . I am tired period . I think that I am cranky too as I have just yelled at Katie and Jake again. I don't deal with being sick at all. It makes me angry because I don't want to just sit here and do nothing . That is stupid .



And I don't want anyone taking care of me . It makes me feel like I have a slave . I don't want and I don't need a slave . As a matter of fact ,
unless I start having to vomit I am not going to have people taking care of me. It's ridiculous .






I am feeling angry . I should just go upstairs to my apartment and be alone. Yes I think that is an excellent idea .



I was supposed to meet at the coffee shop with my daughter-in-law today. Since she has had baby Jack we haven't really had time alone to talk. I had to cancel . This really didn't sit well with me.






Yes I am an angry woman today.

" Willy Nilly "

My thought process is somewhat scrambled this morning thanks to the time change. I woke at 4:15 a.m. unable to fall back to sleep.

I wonder how long this will last ?

Thankfully though I don't have to be anywhere today, at least not that I can remember ! I am waiting to see if Katie gets up for school this morning.
She was feeling better and then started to lose her voice a little. She is sort of up and down. I had to visit with our doctor yesterday and they seemed to think that it wasn't the flu. Which Dr. Mom had also suspected.

The doctor put her on some antibiotics which is also what Dr. Mom thought she needed . Since Katie was a little one, she has always been horrible at sharing. I believe one of the reasons is that we lived out in the the middle of nowhere and I knew no one with children her age. My other two children were in high school and weren't too much into
" Barney " ! I tried taking her to classes that involved other toddlers.
That didn't work either.






She got a little better at it once I was able to enroll her in preschool.
This was before we had found our church, if we had been going then, I think that it would have helped.

But things have changed now , yes she has decided to share her bug with her Mommy . But not to worry , I am still able to take care of everyone and everything. Why I even managed to sneak a nap in yesterday,
measure and cut several squares for Katie's quilt, and cook a pot roast with twice baked potatoes!






I had one bad day but it didn't last long as I do believe that God watches over us mom's. He doesn't let us stay down for long ! There's too much to do.






That was all of the willy that happened yesterday.
Now I will get to the nilly.

I went to Jake's doctor appointment with him yesterday as I always do.
The news was all good. He will finish out his I.V. antibiotics,
the last dose being Thursday night. The infection looks so much better .
The doctor is giving him an extra week off of work after that to make sure that it doesn't come back.

Jake drives for 10 to 12 hours a day with his leg down. So we must make sure that the pain doesn't come back as he cannot take pain medication at all while he is in his truck. Driving or not driving. So he will start using Ibuprofen in hopes that it will do the trick.







The doctor also told my husband that he can start doing more things.
He needs to start working on getting his strength back.
He can do the dishes! And walk the dogs! And cook dinner!
I am ticked pink! Although I am sure that I will have to remind him of this fact, believe me I will remind him!






I felt such relief after the doctors visit yesterday. My husband felt happy.
He is still somewhat worried about the shingles pain that he is still having in his hand. It's the hand that he drives with. But I just keep hoping and praying that it fades more before he has to go back to work.

So the mood in the house was much lighter yesterday. I am waiting to see if Katie is feeling well enough to go back to school today as my servants have all quit. They just couldn't handle all of the work.

It's so hard to find good help these days !

" The Sick Room "

Preface : The following is an excerpt that I found as I was skimming through a wonderful book called " Common Sense In The Household ".
It was authored by Marion Harland, pen name of Mary Virginia Hawes
Terhune. It first appeared in 1871.

While reading this excerpt it in someways rang true as to how I have been
feeling as of late. It also gave me a good laugh. I would like to share it with you.

" The Sick Room "

The sick-chamber should be the most quite and cheerful in the house-a sacred isle past which the waves of domestic toil and solicitude glide silently. This is not an easy rule to obey. Whoever the invalid may be, wheather the mother , father, or the sweet youngling of the flock, the foundations of the household seem thrown out of course while the sickness lasts. You may have good servants and kind friends to aid you , but the hitch in the machinery is not to be smoothed out by thier efforts. The irregularity does not annoy you : you do not notice it if the attack be severe or dangerous . All other thoughts are swallowed up in the all absorbing , ever present alarm . You count nothing an inconvenience that can bring present relief , or possible healing to the beloved one ; disdain for yourself rest or ease while the shadow hangs above the pillow crushed by the helpless head . But when it passes , when the first transport of thankfulness has subsided into an abiding sense of safety , the mind swings back to the accustomed pivot , and your eyes seem to be suddenly unbound . You find , with dismay , that the children have run wild , and the comfort of the whole family been neglected during your confinement to the post of most urgent duty ; with displeasure , that the servants have , as you consider , taken advantage of your situation to omit this task , and to slur over that ; - in fine , that nothing has been done well , and so many things left altogether undone , that you are
" worried out of your senses " - a phrase that too often signifies , out of your temper .




And it is just at this juncture-when you are called to fifty points of attention and labor at once , and are on the verge of despair at the conglomeration worse conglomerated arising before you ; fidgetting to pick up dropped stitches in the web you were wont to keep so even-that the invalid becomes most exacting . " Unreasonable," you name it to yourself , even though it may be John himself who calls upon you every third minute for some little office of loving kindness ; who wants to be amused and fed and petted , and made generally comfortable as if he were a six-months old baby ; who never remembers that you must be wearied out with watching and anxiety , and that everything below stairs is going to destruction for the want of a balance wheel . The better he loves you the more apt he is to fancy that nobody but you can do anything for him ; the more certain to crave something which no one else knows how to prepare . And when you have strained muscle and patience a little further to get it ready , and with prudent foresight made enough to last for several meals , it is more than probable that this fickle taste will suggest something entirely different for " next time." " Just for a change , you know dear . One gets so tired of eating the same thing so often!"





Epilogue : I have always been somewhat fascinated with Victorian times.
However after reading this excerpt I can say with the utmost confidence that I am so grateful that it is not 1871.

I am grateful for myself and for my husband. Poor dear would be dead.

Katie is feeling much better . I am hoping that this was just a little virus and it has nearly ran its course.

Jake is feeling better although his leg still appears to be infected and he is still having pain in his arm. We will be seeing our family physician tomorrow and should have some more information then .

Thank you to all for your kindness . God bless .

" Just a Bit of Irony ?"

Today was the day of all day's for me. Very busy and stress filled.
I shall break it down and skip all of the small details .

Woke up had two cups of coffee.

No time for shower or food.

Dropped off husband at the hospital.

Drove to Wal-mart to stock up on pet food and coffee,which is vital to my days as of late.

Dropped off 78 pounds of dog food , cat food and litter.

Ate a small bowl of potato soup.

Went to another store to buy meat and pay utility bill.

Came home , walked dogs, woke up Kate, went to another store for paper towels because the dogs are not feeling well.

Oh did I forget to mention that it is only 9:00 a.m.?

Went to the drug store for a refill on xanax, as I am needing it now.

Went to the hospital to pick up Jake and take him home.

Grabbed a sandwich and drove to the house that I clean.

Cleaned for two and one half hours.

Stopped at the bank , cashed check.

Came home, took a bath, washed hair. Did dishes, walked dogs.

Oh did I mention that I only had an hour and a half to do this?

Took Katie to her new doctor for her new patient establish visit.

Fell asleep in the waiting room. This has never happened to me.

Stopped at drug store on the way home for medicine for Katie's allergies.

Came home, ate dinner.

Fed dogs, walked dogs and did more dishes.

Decided to buy paper plates.

Was supposed to go to my son's for a Halloween party but Katie had a bad headache and I was too tired so we canceled.

Did I mention that it poured rain all day?

Jake went to the hospital for I.V. Medicine again.

Finally, finally I went upstairs to my get away to do some things that I had wanted to do.

Alone time at last.

Katie was downstairs watching a show that she had been anticipating.

I moved several pieces of furniture upstairs including a bed.

I am done for the night.I am icing my knee now. it hurts.

I am going to sit down and have a beer.

I deserve it today.

Katie comes upstairs. Her head hurts bad. She is hot. I take her temperature. One hundred degrees.

I go downstairs to get her some Ibuprofen, a cold towel for her head and a small bowl of soup.

She has chills now and the fever is rising.

She wants hugs. From me and her dad who is home now.

This is not usual for her. Hugs.

We tuck her in. This is not usual for her.

I have put two quilts and one feather bed over her.

She asked me to make homemade noodles and chicken soup tomorrow.

So I will.

The doctor visit went really well.

I guess it was just a few hours to soon.

Just when I thought that things were calming down a bit.

Just a bit of irony.

" Best Laid Plans" The Conclusion

" The Homecoming "

It was a chilly , dank and dreary day on this 26th day of October 2009.
And this was the day that the secrets were revealed in the little town of "Siebelsville".


Katie had tried and tried to keep it hidden.
Even from her own parents . Although deep down in their hearts they had known the truth all along.


" I don't know how to use the microwave !",
She would say when it was suggested that she heat up a
snack for herself.





Through all of her cries of ignorance the truth finally revealed itself when the trusty old family microwave died.


It was only then, when a new yet slightly used microwave oven
came into the home,
that all of that had changed.




And it was then that
her mother inadvertently discovered her using
the microwave oven,
despite her previous cries of her ignorance to the appliance !


She was quite sure that no one was watching , but mothers can be sneaky at times !






So her secret is out. Now she will no longer be able to play on her mothers guilt to heat leftovers for her when she is hungry.


As for Diana . Well let's just say that she has resigned herself to the fact that she IS obsessed with a clean home .


Weather or not this is truly a problem she does not know for sure.
All she knows is that when she is cleaning she is happy.
Work makes her happy.






She also is very aware of the fact that even though it exhausts her at times,
she simply cannot completely relax until everything is clean and in it's proper place.


Diana is also quite sure that this has something to do with being able
to feel more in control of her life, such
as it is, at this time.


But good , clean , honest , hard work
is good for anyone.


And on this chilly , dank and dreary day ,
she had no idea just how much work
was ahead of her .


Back at the hospital Jake had still been waiting for an answer.
Any answer.








Finally on the fifth day of his hospital stay , the one doctor ,
the one with the answers finally arrived .


The doctor's specialty was dermatology. He had taken one look at Jake's hand and arm , which by this time had healed quite a bit.
He told him that it was definitely a case of shingles
that had attacked his limb. Like a constantly stinging sleeve of wasps!


The not so friendly, I consider myself to be Godlike, dermatologist
then looked at Jake's leg . Which by this time was looking so much better after five days of I.V. antibiotics twice a day and an antiviral
five times a day.




This is when the, you are lucky that I am wasting my precious time on you, dermatologist determined upon sight that Jake had.......


Bacterial Celliulitis on his leg. A very bad skin infection.
which now was looking so much better.


Jake's wonderfully warm and friendly family doctor agreed with
the most likely very good at what he does but has the personality of an ice cube, dermatologist, to release him from the hospital!


Diana's husband is now at home with a pick line in his arm
which enables him to return to the hospital twice a day for
a total of six hours per day, for ten days to receive the antibiotics.
He is also still taking antivirals five times a day.


Jake is not allowed yet to put to much pressure on his leg.
So his lovely wife has much to do and care to give!





Needless to say he still isn't feeling very good. But really who would with all of those anti every things flowing though their veins?





Somewhere, sometime this couple started changing.
The change is called aging.


She with her strokes and arthritis.
He with his shingles and COPD.


While they realize that there are most likely many more
challenges ahead in their marriage,
they still can't help but wonder,
where did the time go?


Yet no matter how rough the road may get and how fast the time
will fly by,
They will always have each others hand to hold.





" The End "



Epilogue:

First Diana would like to say that she is extremely tired of writing in the third person! So it ends right now. At least for the time being until another time perhaps !


Now the most important thing that I would like to do is to Thank everyone for praying for my husband. I think it's going to be awhile before he can go back to work but he is healing. Just not as fast as he use to or would like to. We still haven't gotten all of the test results in and have two or three more specialists to see.


But for now through God's grace we are here together and I know that we will make it through all of this.


And finally while I am aware that this series most likely was a boring story to most, to those I apologize, for me it was a wonderful stress reliever!

Love Di

Coming Up ....

On the next episode of
" Best Laid Plans "

Rumor or fact . Will they be releasing Jake from the hospital soon ?

And what of the mysterious ailment ,
have the doctors finally
come to a conclusion ?

Will Katie's kitchen secret be revealed
against her will ?

And what about Diana's habitual cleaning ?
Has she given into it or
given up on it ?

Stay tuned......

All of the answers will be revealed soon !